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Tag: Ramakrishnan Murthy

Ramakrishnan Murthy and team delivered a classic concert as part of the 48th Music Conference of the Bangalore Gayana Samaja. RKM performed with H K Venkatram on Violin, Arjun Kumar on Mridangam and Anirudh Athreya on Khanjira.

Mohana Rama – Mohanam

Koluvai Unnade Kodandapani – Devagandhari

Etti Janmamidi – Varali

Ennaga Manasuku – Neelambari

Haridasulu Vedalu – Yamuna Kalyani

Ragam Tanam Pallavi – Bhairavi

Sri Rama Jaya Rama Sringara Rama – Yadukula Kambhoji

Karuna Jaladhe – Nadanamakriya

Pavamana Suthudu (Nee Naama Roopamula) – Sourashtram

The festival is dedicated to Saint Thyagaraja and hence understandably the concert had all songs composed by him!

Concert started with a “so-called main piece” (sans a long aalapana though)!! Mohana Rama was mellifluous. Niraval on the first line of charanam.. dhara manujavatara mahima.. was grand and the kalpana swaras that followed, were exquisite. Brilliant start to the concert indeed!! Koluvai Unnade in Devagandhari that ended with brisk swara exchanges filled the hall with more energy and enthusiasm.

Detailed expansion of Varali by RKM and HKV was very soulful. Etti janmamidi was sung to express the emotion Thyagaraja inscribed in the sahityam very well. Niraval on the last line Sagara Sayanuni Thyagarajuni.. was amazing, the swara exchanges between RKM and HKV were top class. We were just about 1 hour 15 min into the concert and it was time for Tani Avarthanam already. It was a nice Tani Avarthanam by Arjun Kumar and Anirudh Athreya. Two quick compositions in Neelambari and YamunaKalyani were followed by the much awaited Ragam Tanam Pallavi.

Bhairavi is one of the all-time favorite ragas and the audience were treated to some wonderful periods of bliss in the RTP section. RKM sang some slokam all the way instead of normal way of singing ragam and HKV ‘s return, though short, was a treat to the ears! Tanam was lovely and the first part of the pallavi Uraga raga sayana.. Sri Rama looks like having been inspired from yet another masterpiece of Thyagaraja, Upacharamulu chekonavayya and he actually sung some stanzas of the composition as part of the Niraval expansion of the Pallavi. The experiment was interesting and the ragamalika section had many ragas of short cycles weaved together to make everything even more exciting!

The concert ended with one of my favorite compositions from childhood, Karuna Jaladhe and it was very refreshing to listen to the complete song Nee nama roopamula (Pavamana Suthudu) in Sourashtram.

A beautiful concert by RKM and team. I am in awe with his singing with clear diction and incredible voice!!